When calculating the ability in retirement to spend some of your hard earned money that you deferred for future use, we often are concerned with “market risk” labeled as Sequence of Return Risk.

Yesterday, I was talking with Becky Heptig (from Catching Up To FI  and Started At 50) about the opposite SORR.

We talked about the past decade plus of Sequence of Return REWARDS.  SOR REWARDS

We talked about using those rewards for life-enhancing amazement.

This is almost exactly the same conversation I had with Mark Trautman in 2021, which created our Fun Buckets for spending.   

I recently had to sign a waiver.  I had to say that I was taking responsibility for my actions. 

The activity was nothing big, just renting a bike to ride around Belgium a little (which is less of a panic-inducing, chaotic event like Amsterdam riding).

The act of signing the waiver included two items (not including reading the “responsibility” section): name and date.

April is 10 years since I started throwing my random thoughts on the interweb in this format.

That is 10 years, 520 weeks of life that have just flown by.  Flown by like I couldn’t have imagined.  All those FIREd weeks/years now lost to the past.

And what do I have to show for that time?  Oh, I have a lot more than thousands of random words and the ability to say “I have a blog.” 

I have improved my FIREment. 

I have improved my lifestyle and activities.  I have received SO MANY memory dividends.

I have a new FI family.

I have given more to those around me and loved it.

I am better than I was in 2016.

At this point in my life, I think that sounds like some success to me.

*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice.  I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be.  You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.

I was having a conversation with a friend about using the Fun Bucket. 

The conversation talked about great market returns in the past (many) years in FIRE.  We talked about SORR, Sequence of Return Risk, since we FIREd, and about the SORR into the future.  At this point, our lifestyle is still small enough that we’re OK.

Knowing that we’re OK.  Knowing that we had a formal, professional “retirement plan” completed.  Knowing that there is some extra money for the Fun Bucket to be emptied and refilled. 

Knowing these statements are true (at this time), the question came up about a future flight to Europe.  I said we are flying business class and paying the extra money.  My friend was working the points system, trying to locate and lock in low-point airfares up front.

He mentioned that if the seats didn’t come up on the points sites, he would sit in premium economy. 

So, lately I’ve been writing about doing.  About the ability to do.  Writing about action.

But my new shirt may really sum it all up in a perfect way.  It’s two buddies on motorcycles with the saying “Allumer le FEU” (They even capitalized the FEU)

Light the FIRE